Tuesday, 9 April 2013

Hua Hin...not for me...

So we spent 2 days in Hua Hin, situated 3 hours south of BKK; we went by bus which was relatively painless. I was very optimistic about the place but couldn't pick up a vibe...any sense of anything really. I have obviously been corrupted by the beautiful beaches of Koh Phangan & Krabi because I found the sea tepid, the 5 mile long beach unattractive, for the most part, & full of sunburnt tourists drinking too much Chang & draping themselves over young Thai girls. It's not for me. We did a bit of walking to the famous night market where, I have to say, we found excellent food at street stalls & some great bargains on gifts like pashminas, jewellery & other lovely things. A highlight was dinner at the Rahmahyah restaurant at the hotel of the same name, in Prachuabkhirikhan (unpronounceable I know)... fabulous Thai food at excellent prices & good wine too, at 100 THB per glass, a real bargain in Thailand. I'd recommend staying at the hotel or at the Baan Khachathong or the basic Thipurai, 3 minutes from the beach. Hua Hin is Thailand's oldest resort, established 70 years ago & it attracts a well heeled set who enjoy golf & own high end properties on the coast. The King of Thailand also has a palace in Hua Hin. Here are a few pics....

The night market...

Rahmahyah restaurant & hotel...

Rahmahyah...

Shrimp salad with lemongrass...

The beach...the hill in the far side has a park I believe that is very pretty & has several good viewpoints...

Hua Hin is 200 km south of Bangkok- you can fly, train or bus there, the latter being the least expensive...the trip takes about 3 hours. Try Air Asia for the best flight offers.